Food dispensing device



Oct. 29, 1935. .H. P. HALL FOODDISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 27, 1954 MM N ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOD DISPENSING DEVICE Harold P. Hall, Seattle, Wash. Application February 27, 1934, Serial No. 713,098

4 Claims. (01. 221- 1) This invention relates to improvements in dispensing devices suitable for the dispensing of semi-fluid materials such as mayonnaise, peanut butter, and the like; it being the principal ob- .ject of the invention to improve upon devices as heretofore used for this purpose, particularly in the details of construction of the dispensing members and their mode of operation.

It is also an object of this invention to provide means that will facilitate the selling to dealers of materials of the character above stated in bulk form, which materials can be conveniently and readily dispensed by the dealer in various amounts to the individual purchasers, thereby eliminating the expense incident to selling in individual packages.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a manually operable dispensing means of a novel character whereby the material may be easily and conveniently discharged from the supply container in a regulated amount.

Other objects reside in the details of construction and in the combination ofparts embodied in the device, whereby they are easy to assemble ordisassemble; whereby bending strain on the dispensing shaft and lateral pressure on its supporting bushing is eliminated and whereby a certain amount of air will be admitted to the container to prevent formation of a vacuum incident to the discharge of material.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is an elevation of the supply container as seen in upright position with a cover appplied thereto as for shipment or storage.

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section of the device, in larger scale, as seen in its inverted position and with the dispensing equipment functionally applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2 illustrating the character of dispensing propeller.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional detail of the propeller shaft bushing and the connection between the shaft and its turning crank arm.

Referring more in detail to the drawing l designates the container for the material to be dispensed. It is desirable that the container beof glass but it may be of any other suitable material, and preferably transparent so that it will satisfactorily disclose its content-s to view. The container is closed at its bottom end by flat wall 2 and at its upper end has a neck portion 3 providing a discharge opening 4. The neck portion is exteriorly threaded and during transportation or storage of the vessel, the open end may be closed by a cap 5 that is threaded thereonto as seen in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 the device is shown inverted and with the dispensing equipment functionally applied thereto. This equipment comprises a cup-shaped attachment 6 that is applied to the threads of the neck after the cap 5 has been removed. The cup is downwardly tapered and has an interiorly threaded upper end portion applied to the threads of the neck portion 3. It has a bottom wall 61) with a central, delivery opening I over which a valve plate 8 is located. 7 The plate 8 is held in place by a pivot screw 9 that extends therethrough and is threaded into the base of the cup portion 6. The valve plate may be swung about the pivot by a handle portion 8a, 20 thus to uncover the opening I for the delivery of contents from the vessel. A leaf spring Ill is held by the pivot screw 9 in position to bear upwardly against the plate 8 tohold the latter tightly in place and thus to prevent leakage of 25 the material from the opening 1.

In the end wall 2 of the container is a centrally located opening l2 in which a tubular bushing I3 is applied. The bushing has a flange or head M at its inner end engaging the inner surface of 30 the wall 2 about the opening l2 and it also has a nut l5 threaded onto its outer end and tightened against the wall 2 to secure the bushing in place.

A shaft I6 is located axially within the container with one end terminating within the bushing I3 35 and with its opposite end located within the dispensing cup where it mounts a propeller wheel l8.

The propeller wheel comprises two semi-circular plates l8a and I8?) as seen in Fig. 3, and which are so shaped that they will operate to for- 40 cibly deliver material toward the outlet 1 when the shaft which mounts them is rotated in the proper direction. The shaft l 6 with the propeller l8 attached thereto, is applied in position through the open end of the container. 45

At its end terminating within the bushing, the shaft l6 has a squared head 2| and has an axial, threaded bore 22. A crank arm 23, radially of the container and overlying the end wall 2, is applied to the shaft H5 at its upper end and it 50 has a lateral shank 24 at its inner end provided with a socket 25 for receiving a squared end 2| of the shaft I6. A bolt 26 is extended through an opening 21 in the crank arm and is threaded into the bore 22 of the shaft to hold the crank arm functionally attached to the dispensing shaft.

It is to be observed, by reference to Fig. 4, that the shaft [6 is of slightly lesser diameter than the interior diameter of the bushing, thereby to provide space for admittance: of air as is necessary to prevent formation of a vacuum which would interfere with a ready dispensing of the material. Also, it is seen that the crank arm 23 is provided at a point near its outer end with a downwardly extending boss 29 which rides "upon the end wall 2. Thus, the pressure that is applied downwardly on the crank to hold the shaft and propeller disks against upward .movement in the container when in functional use, will not cause a bending strain to be applied to theshaft nor will it cause wear on the bushing.

Assuming the device to be so constructed, it is used as follows:

If it is desired, the filled container-J may be delivered to the dealer with the "propeller and shaft applied thereto and the vessel closed by the cap 5, or it may be delivered with the equipment applied thereto as seen in Fig. 2. If it should be delivered in the condition as seen in Fig. l, the dealer will remove the cap -5 and then apply the cup shaped attachment 6. He will then place the container in an inverted position within a suitable supporting rack and apply'the crank arm 22 to the shaft l6 and secure it by means of the bolt 26. The shaft is then pressed downwardly so that the propeller 18 will be located within the cup 6, as shown in Fig. 2, and the boss '29 of the crank arm will engage the end wall 2.

When it is desired to dispense a quantity of material from the vessel, the valve plate 8 is swung to one side to uncover the opening 1. The vessel to receive the material is then placed beneath the opening 1, and the operator turns the crank 23 in such direction that the propeller l8 will operate to forcibly discharge the material through the opening 1. On completion of the operation, the valve 8 is closed over the opening 1.

It is to be understood that the various parts embodied in the dispensing attachment, including the shaft N5, the propeller l8 and the bushing l3, may be made of any suitable material that is not corrosive and which will not "in any way affect or contaminate the material to be dispensed. They may be of bakelite, stainless steel, or other suitable materials. The containers themselves may be made in various sizes and shapes. Generally it is desired that they shall hold from one to three gallons. The attachments, such as cap 6, propeller and shaft, might be of the same sizes for allcontainers but this is not essential.

The device, applied in the manner shown, provides for quick dispensing of material in a sanitary condition and it is very convenient, especial- 1y for use in dispensing semi-fluid materials, such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, or peanut butter. Such containers after being emptied of their contents may be returned to the manufacturer for refilling and in such case all par-ts would be sterilized before anew supply of material was placed therein, thus providing a practical, sanitary means of dispensing materials ofthis character.

Having thus described my .invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In a dispensing device of the character disclosed, a container having a neck portion providing an outlet and having a wall opposite said outlet formed with an opening, a housing attached to said neck portion as anextension thereof, a valved outlet in said housing, a shaft disposed in the container with one end revolubly contained in said wall opening, a crank at the outside of the container operatively connected to the end of said shaft in said opening and a propeller disk fixed to the other end of the shaft within said housing and-operable on rotation of the shaft by said crank to effect a discharge of material from the container through said housing opening.

.2. In a dispensing device of the character disclosed, a container having a neck portion providing a downwardly directed outlet and having an end wall opposite the outlet formed with an opening, a bushing fitted in said opening, a housing "applied to the neck portion as an extension thereof; said housing having a bottom dis- 20 within said housing, a crank arm overlying the 25 said end wall and connected with said shaft and a propeller disk fixed on the other end of the shaft and operable upon rotation of the shaft, to effect a delivery of material from the container through said discharge opening.

'3. In a dispensing device of the character disclosed, a container having a downwardly directed neckportion forming an outlet, and having an upper end wall formed with an opening, a bushing fitted in said opening, a applied to said neck portion as a downward extension and formed in its under side with a discharge opening, a valve plate pivotally attached to the housing for closing said opening, a shaft disposed in the container longitudinally thereof the end er said shaft in said bushing, and a propeller' disk on the lower end of the shaft operable upon rotation of the shaft to expel contents of the container through the discharge opening.

4. A dispensing device of the character described comprising a container having a threaded neck, at its lower end providing an outlet and having a fiat upper end wall provided in coaxial alinement with the neck portion with an opening, a bushing fitted in said opening, a housing threaded onto the neck as an extension thereof and having a base wallformed with a central discharge opening, a valve disk pivotally attached torthe base and overlying theopening, a shaft disposed longitudinally of the container having one end revolubly contained in the bushing and its opposite end terminating in, said housing. a crank arm overlying the upper end wall of the container and having operative connection, in the bushing with the shaft, and a propeller disk fixed to the ,shaft within the housing and operable for discharge of material from the container through said discharge opening; said shaft having a loose fit in the bushing for admittance of air to the container and said shaft having a boss on its outer end portion adapted to supportlngly engage the container wall. 7 V

V HAROLD P. HALL.

housing detachably 

